Annie Cresta - A Short Story Through the eyes of Finnick Odair
by Gracie'sWorld
Summary: A short piece through Finnick's eyes on Annie, before and after she went insane. In honour of the new Catching Fire movie, coming out in a few weeks!


**Annie Cresta**

I will never forget the day I really met Annie Cresta. We were merely children, 9 years of age. I was out in the ocean with my father- District 4's best fisherman; he kept to shallow waters, where he'd spear the fish with his trident. I used a knife-sharpened branch, catching the slower fish. Annie and her older sister walked along the beach together, and she immediately caught my eye, she stuck out like a sore thumb in the district, with her blue eyes and red hair, she was the polar opposite to the stereotypical green eyed bronze hair citizens of 4. Her sister was asking her to swim, and Annie said no, I knew she was hydrophobic by the panicked, frenzied look in her eyes, but her sister had already dragged her in; deeper and deeper until even her older sister couldn't touch the floor. Annie couldn't swim and began screaming, as her head fell underwater. My father had left to take the bucket of fish back to our home, and her oblivious sister had swum off. I dived, swimming as quickly as I could to the drowning girl; I caught her and dragged her back to shore.

She told me her name was Annie Cresta, and she lived in the poorest part of 4, where her parents made nets and rope for a living. I was a merchant's boy; I attended the 'Physically Advanced Training Academy'- the schools only available in districts 1, 2, and 4. Among poorer districts we were known as the Careers. We trained physically more than we learned academically, strength, stamina and fighting skills, ready for the Games. You had to pass tests, which Annie must've not, to attend the school. I sat with her on the beach until way after dark, I built a driftwood fire, and made a bet with her- I can teach her to swim before my father gives me his trident.

I never saw her again for another 7 years after that.

I had gone to the games at 14, an arrogant, cocky teenager who thought he would be stronger than the other 23 tributes before me. Turns out I was.

I had run to the cornucopia as fast as my legs took me, and saw the one thing I wanted most- A Trident. As soon as I laid hands on it, the odds were in my favour. I had scored an 8 in training and, according to Mags, was very popular amongst the women in the Capitol.

I joined the careers and we eventually picked off the other tributes, then it was just us, a pre-confirmed alliance shattered as quick as you could say "Happy Hunger Games", and ridden with injuries, I won over the 3 other Careers left.

I became a Mentor, and a Capitol sex icon on my return to 4, I spotted Annie several times, staring from a distance, so different to the girls who wouldn't leave me alone. The next Games were brutal, I had non-stop nightmares every night, and then had to return home and act as if nothing happened. I tried to approach Annie twice over the next year, but she would walk away, as if she held a grudge.

The next reaping came, and Annie was pulled out the mix, and once inside the Justice Building, I began talking to her, the only way I knew to interact with women, charming. I used my signature move, sugar cubes, and she accepted. Over the next week, I grew a bond, this was different to the Capitol women I'd had so many flings with, and I felt numb when I remembered that she probably wouldn't survive. At first it was only a few simple kisses here and there, and the day before she entered the water she reminded me of the debt I owed her.

"Finnick," She whispered

"Yes gorgeous Annie?"

"Before I die," The words sent shivers down my back "You owe me one thing"

"Anything"

Annie broke off of me, and looked me straight in the eye, I fell down into the sparkling pools of her lapis coloured irises.

"Teach me to swim"

A smile broke on my face, and I let out a small chuckle, which abruptly left as the memory flooded back.

The next day we snuck off, I could trust Mags not to say anything, and she let us go, but not without a warning scowl. We were like a ditzy childhood couple, giggling and teasing each other, as I led her into a secret pool I had discovered in the basement of the Tributes' Tower.

"Now, lean against me and I'm going to lift you up" I instructed her. I could feel her shaking as she leant against my stomach, and I hooked our arms and lifted her.

"I wish I could freeze it" She sighed

"Freeze what?"

"This moment with you." She choked. I leaned over and kissed her. It went on for minutes, when we got back on track.

I discovered she was a natural, and within hours she was swimming lengths of the pool. I blocked the fact this was our final day together out, and attempted to enjoy this sense of forbidden and irrevocable love.

Later on I unwillingly handed her over to her prep team, who prepared her for the interviews.

After the emotional goodbye I hit the centre Capitol, gathering as many sponsors as I could for her. She and Channing, the other Tribute from four, left the careers half way through. They were both friends from school, and the careers tracked them down, seeking revenge. I watched without blinking, shouting commands at Mags to tell the sponsors, however frail, she's close to my heart. The girl from one, Velvet, had an axe, and chopped Channing's head right off. Annie went into breakdown. She got away from the Careers, and had hysterical fits. I sent her gifts, her favourite flower, a loaf of bread from 4, with little messages from me. In this state, a fight would eliminate her.

I went to the gamemakers and begged, pleaded for something to help her. But I was just mere victor, a piece in their games. They caused a flood, clearly still thinking Annie was a hydrophobic. I saw it from a distance, and with the last bit of money, sent her a parachute with a small amount of seawater in it, and the note "Remember what I taught you, down in the basement"

Annie won because she was the best swimmer.

She broke, right before my eyes, we reunited, she ran to me, crying, her eyes that were so bright just weeks ago, now lifeless. Her hair matted, and expression frantic.

"Finnick, help me, help me please! They want me, the people, they want me dead!" She gasped into my shoulder, I comforted her, soothed her, and those words were the last I heard.

She would sit on the beach, silent and staring out into the blue expanse of the ocean. Every day I walked down and sat with her, I'd tell her about my day, entwine flowers into rope and place it as a garland on her head, bring her food, sometimes carry her out to sea. She'd keep the same expression, the same lifeless eyes and wouldn't say a word. But I knew, deep down in there, was Annie, the real Annie, the one I saved all those years ago, and the Annie I fell in love with. I refused to give up on her, I didn't care about the women in the Capitol, with their secrets and riches. I cared about her, the distant, closed off Annie Cresta.

Then after month after month of sitting in silence, I began the same daily routine I had done for the last 7 months, but this time, I could no longer take it.

"Annie Cresta, I know you're in there, no matter how deep down the girl I fell in love with in the Capitol still lives, and I need to know what you see in your mind, I know you can hear me, and I'm not going to stop until I get you out again! Stop this Annie, this isn't you! The games are gone, the Capitol doesn't care about you anymore, you're safe here with me! Come back to me Annie, please." I had stood up, and sunk back into the sand. She said nothing, but for a split second I could've sworn I saw a flicker of sparkle return to her eyes.

The next day I walked back down, with more rope and flowers imported from district 11, to make another garland for her.

"Hey Annie"

I wasn't surprised at the silence at all, I was used to it.

"Finnick" She whispered, "They're still there, they want me dead, they do, they do!"

"Hey, hey. Shh, I wont let them hurt you, ever."

I held the hysterical Annie in my arms, she wasn't back yet, but I'm not going to break a second promise. I wont stop until she's back, even if I have to sit on the beach in silence until we're both old and grey. Occasionally she'll mutter about the next Quarter Quell, I know she's worried, but I'll protect her and keep her safe, even if I die doing it.

I will get Annie back. I will.

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**Seeing as Catching fire movie is out soon, and completely ship Finnick and Annie beyond life, I thought I'd write this! **** Only a one off but if you like it, I may do a Haymitch & Maysilee piece?**

**-G **


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